HonestOpinion

You can also right click on a preset, hit "Copy" and then click on the new slot you want to copy to, right click and hit "Paste". This will also work with multiple presets if you highlight them together. Just be careful because it will paste over successive presets starting at the first slot you choose for the paste operation.

What probably happened here is when you copy a preset to a new location the Helix does not automatically jump to that location. It stays on whatever preset you were already on, usually the original preset you are copying from. When you were editing what you thought was your new preset you were actually editing your original preset. You need to double click on the target preset slot you copied to after you do a copy to actually edit the copy rather than the original. I have been caught by this behavior a couple of times myself.

If you are in a very humid climate or sweat a lot when you play or have acidic sweat then coated strings can be the way to go but overall I find they dull the sound somewhat and can impact sustain and brightness. I do find the Nanoweb Elixirs to sound much better than the Polyweb but I generally try to avoid coated strings because they just don't sound as good to me although some of the newer formulations are not too bad. Just trying to throw something out to help with your sustain issue, hope you get it figured out.

I particularly hope they eventually improve the acoustic models. I find the electrics passable and some quite good.

Which Elixirs did you use? The old "Polyweb" Elixirs in particular can really sound dull in comparison to non-coated strings. I remember pulling a set of Elixirs off a while back and replacing them with non-coated strings and it sounded like I had pulled a wet blanket off my guitar. The sound really came alive. Might be worth trying some good old D'Addario, GHS, or whatever brand string with no coating. Also, if you are using a noise-gate in your effects, make sure it is not kicking in too early and killing your sustain.

Not quite sure what you are trying to achieve in this preset with two pitch whammy blocks set up in different paths. You only need one stereo pitch block for a stereo signal chain. Why do you have two pitch blocks set up? Not saying you don't have a good reason, just curious as to what it is? Regarding the issue of the pitch block not going up a full octave, you may want to double check both pitch blocks and ensure that you have them set to a full octave (+12). Also, remember, unless you set both "Heel Pitch" and "Toe Pitch" to +12 you must have the expression pedal 100% in the toe position to get the full octave. The even split block before the whammy in the second picture would send the already pitch adjusted signal from the Whammy on Path A to the Whammy on Path B, assuming you had both Whammy blocks on. This would definitely not give you the expected results as you are essentially putting the signal through two Whammy blocks in serial causing the second Whammy to process an already "Whammied" signal. Also, keep in mind if you want to keep a true stereo signal all the way down the chain all of your effects have to be stereo. You may want to check your other effects. I also notice you have a mod effect on down your signal chain after the pitch block, depending on the mod settings this could also cause some unpredictable results. You may want to test your pitch block with the mod block off.

The great thing about using the Helix with the Variax via VDI is that you don't even need the battery. The Helix powers the Variax. A powerful combination indeed, I am loving my Variax with the Helix, especially with the addition of snapshots.

So all of this adds up to NEVER just go to your existing version of the Updater and update to the latest firmware, it does not matter if you pull the new firmware down through the updater or download the "Flash Memory" directly from the Line6 downloads site. Remember, the "Flash Memory" download is not sufficient to do an upgrade, you need the "Helix" app. Just don't do it this way! Right now the proper procedure is always to first backup all your presets and IRs, then download the "Helix" app. Allow the "Helix" app to install the latest software, it will install the Editor, Updater, and any necessary driver(s). Only after completing this operation should you run the Updater and upgrade your firmware, either through the Updater download, or by downloading the "Flash Memory" from L6 and then pointing the Updater to it locally (the local file method may be preferred if you have a poor internet connection). After your new firmware is loaded, don't forget to do a global FS 9&10 reset. Now finally load your backed up presets and IRs. I recommend restarting your Helix one more time after loading your old presets just to be thorough. Don't forget to set your global options back to your favorite values as they have all been set back to their defaults. I have followed this sequence and never had one issue with a firmware upgrade. For those who prefer checklists: Helix Firmware Upgrade Instructions: Backup your presets and IRs. Backup your presets using "Export Setlist". You want to restore your setlists one by one as restoring a bundle will overwrite any new or changed factory presets in the new firmware. I always back up a bundle, two versions of each of my setlists, and all of my presets individually just to be on the safe side. Keep them around for a while in case you ever need to roll back to an old version of the software; they take up very little hard drive space. Never start a firmware update by using your current version of the Updater to update to the latest firmware version. Instead, download the latest "Helix" application, run it and let it install the latest version of the Editor, Updater, and driver(s). Now run the Updater. Follow all instructions in the firmware notes and upgrade to the latest version of the firmware. The firmware version should match the version of the "Helix" app you downloaded. Run the footswitch 9&10 global reset procedure. Restore your presets and IRs and restart the Helix one last time. Set your global settings back to your favorite settings, they have all been set to their defaults.

Nothing sounds as good to me for envelope filter/touch wah as the original Mutron III. I was super psyched to see it on the Helix. Oh, and R.I.P. Jerry!

Here is another firmware tip. I don't know if previous versions of the Updater have allowed it, but if they do, never use your current version of the Updater to update to the newest firmware version. Always backup your presets & IRs and then download the latest version of the "Helix" application first, let it install the latest Updater, Editor and drivers, and only then go and update your firmware. Don't forget the global reset afterwards. These instructions could change in the future but so far each new firmware version has been accompanied by new versions of the Editor, Updater, or drivers.

I am starting to wonder if some users are having problems with firmware updating because they start the Updater and update to the latest firmware version without first downloading and installing the latest "Helix" App which installs the latest Editor, Updater, and drivers. Can old versions of the Updater see the latest firmware version? For example, can a 2.0 version of the Updater see the 2.01 firmware update? If so this could explain where some folks are having problems after their firmware update, particularly when connected by USB or trying to use the Editor after the upgrade.

Definitely! Take advantage of that warranty, the time to find out if your unit has a problem is now. Just follow the instructions to the letter. Chances are the update will be without issue. Even if you do encounter a problem it can almost always be resolved by either a reinstall or rolling back to an earlier version and then reinstalling. Just remember to back up everything first. I do understand not wanting to be the first person to do an update but a lot of people have successfully updated with the 2.01 version by now from what I can see. Good luck!

If this is just a problem with the Editor, try using the Line6 Helix Uninstaller, to remove your old software, it will be under Control Panel/Programs And Features in Windows. Download a fresh version of the "Helix Editor 2.01". This app will install the latest version of the Editor, drivers, and Updater. Hope this gets everything working normally again. You may know this already but make sure you get the download that says "Helix" in the dark grey bar at the top and has the correct details for the 2.01 version in the release notes. You do not need the download that says "Flash Memory" in the dark grey bar unless you are going to instruct the Updater to get the firmware from your local machine.

I use the Aux input for acoustic guitar as well since according to the L6 spec it has the proper impedance value for piezo pickups. As always though, use whatever sounds best. For my output I select one of my unused sends (e.g. Send 1/2) on the Output block and connect from that to the PA. That way I have a separate output for acoustic guitar that goes to its own mixer channel. The advantage of not setting the output to "Multi" is that when I switch to an acoustic preset (I create separate presets for acoustic guitar) and pick up my acoustic guitar, I don't have to worry about my electric feeding back and vice versa when I switch back to electric guitar and an electric preset (set to "Multi"). Each guitar (acoustic/electric) goes to its own inputs on the mixer so they can be EQ'd differently.

I agree with most of what you say here and in no way do I want to discourage ongoing efforts to minimize switching latency between presets. I do find there is enough DSP for complicated stuff but there are exceptions where you need another preset. As you point out, there are some songs and styles that simply require preset switching. I am just pointing out that because of snapshots many scenarios that used to require preset switching no longer do and that perhaps some of that memory that is currently pre-allocated to storing presets could be freed up to be used for more or longer IRs, effects/amps, or whatever.

Voted! I am hoping this feature makes it in at some point. Magic 8 Ball says "Yes" ;)

This is not what the firmware notes say. They specify to reset using FS 9 & 10 while powering on and then to reload your saved presets. Are you saying you should do an additional FS 10&11 reset after having done the FS 9&10 reset and loading your old presets? Can anyone from L6 confirm this?

This is probably true with many pieces of equipment but not every system sounds great "out of the box" without some EQ adjustment on the Helix, even when you get the settings, cabling and output levels right. It is definitely the right place to start though and for many people may be all they need to do.

If you have already done your global reset as phil_m recommended (backup up your presets and IRs first) you can try this. If you can get into the problem preset for long enough without the Editor and USB connected, change any parameter in that preset ever so slightly and then save the preset again. This has fixed this issue for some.

Some great tips, thanks. I like the idea of the compressor after the cab as perhaps a limiter, I will have to give this a try. Overall I prefer my compression before the cab and as a matter of fact as early in the signal chain as possible. I usually place it right after any pitch shifter, wah, touch-wah, vibe, or phaser type effects and before the amp/cab. My other mod effects - chorus, delays, reverbs and such go after the amp/cab.

The "line" (+4db) setting is generally what you want to use going directly into a powered speaker or FRFR although your powered speakers or FRFR may have a switch or knob for either choice. The "mic" (-10db) setting can work well into for instance a PA mixer. The line setting is much hotter than the mic setting. The Carvin PM12A can take either mic or line but I would not be surprised if the line setting sounds better, let your ears be the judge and keep the large "Volume" dial cranked up anywhere from half-way to full out with your Carvin turned down to whatever volume doesn't bring the local constabulary. There are different opinions out there and I suppose the L6 engineers know best but I find that I get a more manageable sound more to my liking when I run the "Channel Volume" on the amp somewhere in the 5.5-8.5 range although it will depend on what else is happening in your preset and what sound you are going for. At first I always had the "Channel Volume" cranked closer to 9 or 10 and I was finding it hard to reign in the volume and finding the tone a bit harsher. I try to get my level up elsewhere now and turn the Channel Volume down a bit. I tend to use an expression pedal with the volume block quite a bit (set the "Curve" parameter to "Logarithmic" for a smoother more musical sweep). Btw, I often find the low-pass filter set anywhere around 5khz-7khz to be adequate for my tastes, again, depending on the preset, particularly if your system tends to be on the "bright" side. All a matter of personal taste but once you get the harshness and boominess dialed out you can work on putting back in what you like. The "Sag" parameter in particular on the amp settings can have a big impact on the sound and the feel of the amps. Scroll down to the bottom of this link for a very helpful description of the amp parameters and how they impact the sound -- http://helixhelp.com/pmwiki.php?n=Main.Amps

Did you do an uninstall of the Line6 components first before doing a reinstall, if not that may be worth a try? Also, if you have any third party anti-virus or firewall apps you may also want to try momentarily suspending them (especially during the install process) as well as the, pardon me for suggesting it, obvious step of making sure nothing else is running during install and testing to see if the same behavior persists. And of course, make sure to do the 9&10 global reset after your firmware upgrade. I would also make sure you download a fresh copy of the Helix App in case your's is corrupted. If you are using IE 11 make sure to heed the Line6 install warning regarding corrupton of the download by Smartscreen in this version of IE. Also, does this happen on any presets you delete a path on? This is strange behavior, hope someone can help you sort it out.

The MarkIV models' sounds are great and the cool thing is that using snapshots you can switch between a snapshot with the Mesa EQ on this model in or out, just like the footswitch allows you to do on a real Mark IV amp. I guess you could have sort of accomplished that with the new separate Mesa EQ block ("Cali Q Graphic") they included but it probably sounds a bit different placed before or after the amp block then it does within the model. Point is, this is a great model and snapshots allow maximum flexibility with its extra page of Mesa EQ parameters.

Yeah, what the most considerate jpdennis said, "Happy Birthday"!

That is strange, I can't get my Editor to do that. If I delete or move all the blocks on a path the split/merge blocks and the line representing the second path go away automatically. What OS are you on? I am wondering if you might want to uninstall and then reinstall the 2.0 Helix Editor app software. If this is is still happening on your Helix as well as the Editor while the Editor is not connected, I would back up my IRs and presets and reinstall the firmware update and do the global reset as well. Can you reproduce this behavior on any preset or just select presets?